A grieving mother has told how her 3-year-old daughter's body was found in her neighbour's pool.

Vimbai Machakaire was playing in her West Auckland garden with her brothers and sisters on Thursday when her mother Emily noticed she was missing about 6.30pm.

The family started looking for the toddler but fearing the worst called police about 7.15pm. They didn't think Vimbai had gone next door because she was scared of the dog that lived there. But that's where police found the toddler about 8pm.

"They opened the gate, they went inside," Emily said. "That's when they found her body floating in the swimming pool."

Emily rushed next door and found her daughter on the side of the pool. She held her lifeless body for almost an hour.

Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.

Waitakere City Council has launched an investigation into the death. A source suggested Vimbai might have gained access to the pool area through a faulty gate.